CIPS L4M7 - Whole Life Asset Management

Explanation

There are two main processes of recycling – open loop recycling and closed loop recycling.

Open Loop Recycling

Open loop recycling is a method that delays disposal by converting manufactured goods and spent materials into both new raw materials, which can be used for a manufacturing purpose, as a fuel source for a different manufacturing process and waste products.

Typically, materials recycled through open-loop recycling will be used for purposes different from their original purpose.

This means that the input into the recycling process is converted to a new raw material, which can be used as an input into another manufacturing process.

Materials in an open loop recycling process are treated using various forms of treatment including heat, chemical reactions, or physical crushing.

Closed Loop Recycling

Closed loop recycling is a process where waste is collected, recycled and then used again to make the same product it came from. This process is restorative and regenerative by design and aims to keep materials at their highest utility and value always.

Closed loop recycling is focused on resource sustainability, which means that recycling of a material can be done indefinitely without degradation of properties. In this case, conversion of the used product back to raw material allows repeated making of the same product, which helps hazardous waste generators reduce carbon footprint and achieve corporate sustainability initiatives.

Closed-loop recycling is common in specialized industries, such as the computer and battery industries, which use expensive or complex goods that cannot easily be broken down post-consumption into constituent materials.

A prime example of a closed-loop recycling process is the recycling of aluminum cans. Aluminum can be recycled to form new cans with little material degradation or waste creation.

Explanation

Where stock turn (inventory turnover) is low and there are potential risks of redundancy or obsolescence, the buying organisation may adopt vendor owned stock. In this system, a supplier (vendor) maintains a stock of items ready to be used at the point of customer consumption. The supplier owns the stock until it is used by the purchaser; only then is the purchaser invoiced for it.

Just in case and larger safety stock would significantly increase the stock level, which may cause redundancy or obsolescence.

Forrester effect (or Bullwhip effect) is a distribution channel phenomenon in which forecasts yield supply chain inefficiencies. It refers to increasing swings in inventory in response to shifts in customer demand as one moves further up the supply chain.

The turning circle of the forklift truck and the size of the pallet it carries are primary factors in determining aisle width. The aisle width must accommodate forklift maneuvers for safe and efficient access to stored items. Whole-life asset management emphasizes warehouse layout planning to optimize space usage, reduce handling time, and enhance safety.

Explanation

Dependent demand is the requirement for stock item which is directly related to and therefore de-pendent upon the rate of production (examples are: raw materials, components, energy). The com-ponents in the scenario are dependent demand items.

Independent demand is the requirement for stock item which is not directly related to, and is therefore independent of rate of production.

Explanation

A cost-benefit analysis is a process businesses use to analyze decisions (such as capital investment). The business or analyst sums the benefits of a situation or action and then subtracts the costs associated with taking that action.

A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) should begin with compiling a comprehensive list of all the costs and benefits associated with the project or decision.

The costs involved in a CBA might include the following:

- Direct costs would be direct labor involved in manufacturing, inventory, raw materials, manufacturing expenses.

- Indirect costs might include electricity, overhead costs from management, rent, utilities.

- Intangible costs of a decision, such as the impact on customers, employees, or delivery times.

- Opportunity costs such as alternative investments, or buying a plant versus building one.

- Cost of potential risks such as regulatory risks, competition, and environmental impacts.

Benefits might include the following:

- Revenue and sales increases from increased production or new product.

- Intangible benefits, such as improved employee safety and morale, as well as customer satisfaction due to enhanced product offerings or faster delivery.

- Competitive advantage or market share gained as a result of the decision.

An analyst or project manager should apply a monetary measurement to all of the items on the cost-benefit list, taking special care not to underestimate costs or overestimate benefits. A conservative approach with a conscious effort to avoid any subjective tendencies when calculating estimates is best suited when assigning a value to both costs and benefits for a cost-benefit analysis.

Finally, the results of the aggregate costs and benefits should be compared quantitatively to deter-mine if the benefits outweigh the costs. If so, then the rational decision is to go forward with the project. If not, the business should review the project to see if it can make adjustments to either increase benefits or decrease costs to make the project viable. Otherwise, the company should likely avoid the project.

Just-in-Time (JIT) aims to:

Improve quality by ensuring defect-free products that meet customer expectations.

Reduce inventory levels: The JIT approach minimizes holding costs by producing and delivering goods as needed.

Whole-life asset management values JIT for optimizing inventory control, reducing waste, and enhancing quality while keeping storage costs minimal.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enables real-time tracking of items and is commonly used for security in retail to prevent theft. The tags are activated within a specified range, and alarms trigger when items exit without deactivation. RFID in asset management helps in tracking high-value items, ensuring security and reducing loss.

Explanation

Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software manages material requirements for manufacturing processes.

LO 2, AC 2.3